The next several blog articles will focus on the important subject of prayer.
As we look at these passages in Matthew’s Gospel, I’m going to explain the passage from the best commentaries I’ve found, and then make an application to our present lives.
Public prayer can present two kinds of problems. Some people have never spoken in public, much less prayed in public. They are hesitant to pray in public because they’re afraid they’ll make some sort of a mistake.
On the other hand, some are eloquent and, when they finish praying, they think to themselves, “Wow, I did a good job. I think they’ll like it.”
Jesus has a message for all sorts of people concerning public prayer.
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
“But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6.5-6).
The Hypocrites
Wherever people gather as a potential audience, hypocrites make sure their prayers are heard and seen. Hypocrite originates from the Greek word and refers to an actor. An actor portrays a role and is not the character they are playing.
That may be good for the stage, but is disastrous for our spiritual lives.
Devout Jews prayed three times a day. The normal Jewish attitude for prayer was standing.
Jesus taught that prayer should be done in secret, before God who sees in secret because He is everywhere. That God is himself invisible is in stark contrast to his pretended worshipers who are only too visible.
Let’s remember that not only did Jesus pray privately, but he also prayed on occasions where others could hear.
Personal Application
I have spoken to many people who had a fear of praying in public. They’re afraid that they can’t sound like some eloquent prayer that they had heard in the past. My counsel to them is that God looks at the heart and not the mouth.
On one particular occasion, a man prayed in public, and he was so caught up with emotion that all he could say was “God.” After a few moments of silence, and you could hear weeping on his part, he ended by saying “Amen.”
That was years ago. I still remember the prayer, and it was one of the most profound I’ve ever experienced.
Don’t worry about how you sound to other people. Worry about your heart’s connection with God.
The Secret Place
As someone who has prayed many prayers in public, I know the temptation to try to appear more spiritual than I am.
Whether we pray in public or not, everyone benefits from having a secret place. This is a designated time and method for daily connection with God. Here, we can pour out our hearts and experience a profound and real connection with our Loving Lord.
Empty Praying
When we don’t know God as our Heavenly Father, it will be reflected in the way we pray. Our prayer risks being full of many words that are empty of meaning.
“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6.7-8).
People who don’t know God as Father think they must badger a reluctant deity to take notice of them. It is an approach to prayer that values quantity and perhaps volume rather than quality.
This kind of praying attempts to demand God’s attention and then informs him of needs that he might have overlooked.
Like all forms of idolatry, it is an attempt to manipulate God. In this instance, it is through repetitive, and possibly magical, phrases.
The issue is not the method or the frequency of prayer. The ultimate issue is faith, which underlines and inspires prayer. That’s why we can bring our burdens to God and leave them with Him.
Personal Application
I believe prayer is more like art than science. There are no set techniques for expressing desires to God, just like children don’t need specific methods to show love to their parents.
Everyone has their own unique way of expressing themselves, and a loving parent cherishes that individuality.
My prayer life has definitely changed over the years. There were times when I used a lot of words, and my prayers might have sounded like I was ordering at a drive-thru.
Thankfully, Jesus has a way of gently correcting that kind of behavior, and he has certainly done so for me.
I have encountered quite a few people who have misunderstood verse 8 to mean that if God knows all that we need, why do we need to pray? There are many answers to that question. Here are a couple of them.
First, God wants to meet our needs and He’s waiting for us to open the door. Prayer opens the door for God to be involved in our lives.
The second answer is that we need prayer more than God needs to hear our prayers. More than getting what we need in prayer, prayer is his best gift to develop a firm, loving relationship with him.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 